Optional: sliced green onions or chili flakes for garnish
Instructions
In a small bowl mix tamarind pulp, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and water until a smooth sauce forms.
Heat oil in a very hot skillet or wok.
Add shrimp and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin turning pink.
Pour the tamarind sauce into the skillet and toss shrimp to coat evenly.
Cook about 1 more minute until the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thick.
Serve immediately. Garnish with green onions or chili flakes if desired.
🌿 About the plant:
The pulp of tamarind can be used fresh from the pod, pressed into blocks, or sold as concentrate. Its acidity works like citrus but with more complexity - slightly fruity, slightly caramel-like.
🏡 In the garden:
Tamarind trees - Tamarindus indica - are drought-tolerant once established and surprisingly hardy in brief cool snaps. They develop a beautiful spreading canopy and fine, fern-like leaves that close at night.
Q:
We bought several adenium plants from you. We are moving to the Denver area of Colorado. How can we make sure the plants survive? Should we use a green house?
A:Adeniums are perfect container plants, and house plants. They can be easily grown outside of tropical climate. During winter, Adeniums drop leaves and go into dormancy which makes it easy to keep these plants in a dormant stage in a warm location of your house, or possibly even in well-lit spot of garage (with a window), with temperatures above 50-60F.
Here in South Florida, during time of cold, when chances of freeze are high, we move our own Adenium collection into lanai, with plastic sheet protection around lanai.
In colder climates, Adeniums can be kept indoors as house plants during winter. There are some requirements/tips for you:
Temperature. Move Adeniums indoors when temperature starts dropping below 45F.
SUNSHINE. Use SUNSHINE boosters to improve cold resistance of Adeniums, and essure healthy plant throughout winter. SUNSHINE-BC
Date: 19 May 2016
Care of mail-order plants during hot summer
Q:
I live in California and about a month ago ordered several plants from you, including fruit trees (Carambola, Mango, Avocado) and flowering trees (Xanthostemon, Adeniums, Champaca, Ylang Ylang). They were all doing well until I tried to move them into full sun, when they got leaf burn immediately. Ylang Ylang was doing great in a shade, but I repotted it from 1 gal into 3 gal and it is drooping leaves now. It has been very hot (over 100F) and dry (humidity is less than 25%). Any suggestions?
A: Hot summer can be pretty challenging time for establishing new plants. These are some guidelines to make your summer gardening more successful and rewarding.
1. You can order plants at any time, but keep your eye on your local weather forecast and try to chose cooler periods to schedule your plant shipments. Here at TopTropcals we monitor weather at destinations, and we can also delay shipment per your request until more favorable conditions.
3. Use shade cloth or simply white sheets to protect young plants and new plantings from hot sun.
4. When establishing mail ordered plants during hot weather, keep them in shade for longer period of time than average recommended 1-2 weeks. Give them a chance to establish really well. In areas with low air humidity, try to create a simple mist system
Date: 17 Feb 2026
Lunar New Year starts today - welcome the Year of the Fire Horse 2026 with Jasmines
Year of the Fire Horse 2026 with its lucky plants Jasmines
🔥 Lunar New Year starts today - welcome the Year of the Fire Horse 2026 with Jasmines
💮 One of the luckiest plants for 2026 is Jasmine. Today, February 17, 2026, the Lunar New Year begins, welcoming the energetic and passionate Year of the Fire Horse.
💮 If you’ve been feeling restless, ready for movement, or craving something fresh in your life - that’s Horse energy. This year is about action, authenticity, and doing things your way. And in Chinese tradition, certain plants help align your space with that powerful momentum.
💮 Why Jasmine is especially lucky this year
Jasmine symbolizes love, luck, and beauty - three themes closely connected to the Fire Horse’s vibrant spirit. Horses are social, expressive, and affectionate. Jasmine’s sweet fragrance supports harmony, romance, and positive energy in your home.
In Feng Shui traditions, fragrant flowering plants help soften intense Fire energy. Jasmine does exactly that - it balances passion with calm.
💮 How to use Jasmine for good fortune in 2026
· Grow jasmine near entrances or windows to invite good luck into your home
· Place it in patios or garden walkways where its scent can circulate
· Use jasmine oil or candles in bedrooms to enhance relaxation and romantic harmony
💮 Ready for momentum?
Ready to feel bold, inspired, and a little unstoppable? The Year of the Fire Horse moves fast - and it rewards those who move with it. Think you need more clarity, more spark, more direction? Jasmine anchors that fire with calm confidence. It keeps the passion high and the chaos low.
If you’re stepping into 2026 with purpose, don’t just make resolutions. Plant something living. Let jasmine bloom beside you - and grow into the year you’ve been waiting for.